Denneen (Denny) Peterson!

Because the Quilt Alliance is all about documenting, preserving and sharing the stories of quilts and their makers, I asked Denny to tell us her story.

Denny Peterson and her husband Bill Meek

I live in Sahuarita, Arizona. My husband and I belong to the Tucson Quilters Guild. We also have a small group of quilting friends who get together at each other’s homes approximately monthly to work on quilts, visit, and eat!

My mother and husband quilt, too. My mother taught me to sew and she started quilting after I did. She makes some of the most wonderful colorful quilts! My husband was surrounded by fabric and sewing machines and went along with me to sew days for years before he started by quilting a table runner for my mother on my Bernina. Now he designs and makes his own quilts and does quilting for others on his longarm (a power tool for fabric, you know). I make all kinds of quilts that you can make on the machine–traditional and contemporary pieced and applique are on the list, but my current favorites are art quilts depicting buildings, animals, and landscapes.

We attend local area quilt shows, including the Tucson Quilt Fiesta and the Valley Quilters Guild show (Green Valley, Arizona). We also attend Road to California most years. Last year my husband and I were Artists in Residence at Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado, Arizona and at Petrified Forest National Park near Holbrook, Arizona. We spent two weeks living in historic housing at each location, gathering inspiration, designing and making quilts, meeting with park visitors to talk about quilting, the AIR program, and the parks; and then we made quilts to give to the park in exchange for housing and access to the parks.

Here is a photo of my husband Bill Meek and me with a quilt (Shared Heritage) that we made as a result of our stay at Petrified Forest. That quilt has an informative label!

Didn’t win? 🙁
Good news! You can support the Quilt Alliance and enjoy Quilters Take Manhattan from home by purchasing a QTM Moda Home Ticket today.

The QTM Moda Home Ticket provides a chance for those who can’t make it to the Big Apple to experience their own home slice of the event. Home Tickets cost $35 ($30 for QA members). You will receive the QTM Goody Bag, packed with samples and treats from all of our sponsors, by mail in late September, Home Ticket holders will also receive priority access to online video of our Sunday with Sponsors event (sent via email link 2 weeks after event), and are entered to win select door prizes. Please note: this year’s Home Ticket will not include footage of QTM lectures and interviews due to the prohibitive cost. Home Ticket holders play an important role in supporting the work of the Alliance–thank you!